Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Tuesday - October 21, 2008
From: Folsom, NJ
Region: Northeast
Topic: Medicinal Plants
Title: Yucca plant for horse joint problems
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
is the yucca plant the same as what the joint medication is made of to give to older horses for the joints, and if so, can a plant be nibbled on when it grows in the pasture?ANSWER:
The information I have been able to find indicates that the effective compounds in yucca that aid in relieving inflamatory problems in horses (and pets, in general) are steroidal saponins. It is used orally and topically and apparently was used by native Americans. However, I could find no indication of what species they are using, nor how they extract the saponins from the yucca. Your best bet for finding out the species of yucca used for the supplement is to contact one of the makers of the medication and ask them which species. Better yet, why not contact your veterinarian to ask about the efficacy of these supplements.
Yucca filamentosa (Adam's needle) is apparently the only yucca that grows in New Jersey. Whether your horse will nibble on it in the pasture is something Mr. Smarty Plants doesn't know. Certainly deer like the blossoms of the yucca plants, but I've never seen them actually nibble on the leaves. It should be safe to do so, however, since none of the yuccas appear in any of Mr. Smarty Plants' favorite toxic plant databases listed below.
Universtiy of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants Database, Poisonous Plants of North Carolina, Cornell University's Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animals, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System and Texas Toxic Plant Database.
Additionally, here are several databases that list plants, native and otherwise, that should not be included in areas with horses:
10 Most Poisonous Plants for Horses from EquiSearch.com
Poisonous Plants from Trailblazer Magazine
Toxic Plants: Horses from the ASPCA
Horse Nutrition: Poisonous Plants from Ohio State University
More Medicinal Plants Questions
How to grow Blue Cohosh in Lewisville TX
May 05, 2010 - I bought Blue Cohosh seeds from an online website, but I do not know how or where to plant them and what will guarantee germination, and the instructions that came with the package are very vague. The...
view the full question and answer
Comptonia peregrina tea as topical treatment for poison ivy
July 19, 2007 - I have been told that Sweet Fern stewed into a tea is a great topical treatment for poision ivy. Is this true?
view the full question and answer
List of plants native to the Abilene, Texas area
September 15, 2011 - Am looking for direction to a complete list of plants native to the Abilene, Taylor County, Texas area (trees, shrubs, grasses, cacti and other plants that grew here before cultivation, eradication or...
view the full question and answer
Information on medicinal plant uses by Dakota Indians
November 29, 2006 - I would like to know what the plants were that were used for medicinal purposes by the plains Indians in the Dakotas. Is there a place/site that I can go to to research the data?
view the full question and answer
Question about Allamanda cathartica
July 29, 2008 - how would i prove that allamanda cathartica is an antidote for anti-tetanus in a cheaper way?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |